Looking ahead bravely!

 This is a word display where you just pick what jumps out at you. I think there's a kind of unconscious preparation to see certain words first. I won't tell you mine yet, because you need to do it without cues. 

Friday was wintry, sleety rain, cold, and I was glad to get home after dropping off my bag o' knitting for the library display. 

While I was there I thought it was ages since I looked at the puzzle shelves, so I found one in my preferred size I hadn't done 

500 pieces suits me best because the pieces are big enough for me to handle. The 1,000 are just a fraction too small and I spend a lot of time and goodwill on scrabbling to pick them up only to have them fly through the air.

And here's doll two

Teal and orange with a dusky face. The orange is much more pronounced in real life.

And just the start of doll three 

And later, the doll ready for stitching and stuffing 

I'm aiming for six dolls before I go back to other projects. I'm giving them priority because they'll be needed soon.

Current reading is

Which I think I chose from a list of indigenous people-related stories. I've barely begun, but I like the main character so far, an old indigenous lady, container gardening against all advice in a retirement apartment.

Happy day everyone, no knitting group today, anyway I was already cold and wet from delivering the craft pieces.  Glad to get home, pot of tea, slice of cake and the rest of Cranford.

I think winter has started. The rain has given the earth a great drink, washed down my car and made my hair curl back up and my skin relax. That period of dry days was hard on people like me, with papery dry skin. Much better now.

Dolls, Misfits and artworks

Written on Thursday.

This morning I decided to start the comfort dolls I plan to send to Navajo children, and got out the doings 

And a while later here's the first doll. 

Black boots, matching pink pants and hat, white sweater, dusky face.  You'll see how it works when I stitch and stuff it.  It's such a treat to have all these colors to choose outfits from.

Then Haleem arrived with my Misfits box, picked up last week's packaging 

And left this beautiful supply 

 

of organic fruit and vegetables. good food is how I stay well, I'm sure.

And see the beauty of these ruby red onions, and the architecture of them 

The more I cook Asian food, the more I notice how it favors red onions. They do say use yellow if that's what you have, but I think red is probably better if it's preferred.

All the skins are now bagged and in the freezer for future dyeing, because they give a pink dye I love.

Coffee because I've switched to one strong cup for breakfast, dripped Melitta style through a cone. The water passes through the grounds once, making a wonderful strong but mellow flavor. Tea happens in the afternoon.

It's a while since I bought ginger, but my ginger dice in the freezer are almost finished. The smell of this root is so fresh. I may snap a bit off to plant. I've done it before and got a little harvest.

I'll probably add a handful of spinach into the current lentil soup, to cook briefly.

When I survey this counter of food I really feel my privilege. It's my fuel for the good fight! 

This afternoon will be Cranford and a pot of tea while my hands rest from knitting and chopping. It's raining steadily, such a welcome sound. The earth's just soaking it right in, so dry and needy. 

Happy day everyone, enjoy whatever's there. Take care of your feelings.  And let's be safe hands for each other.

Wednesday, day of visiting, soup and keys

 Short of pictures for Wednesday, which was about a great afternoon with Handsome Son, where he made inroads into the last of the pumpkin cranberry loaf I saved for him from the neighborhood sharing loaf. We both enjoyed the first of the fruitcake. Two pots of tea.

He made sure he has various bits of information about my mailbox, and other updates, and plans for vaxes, doctor appointments while his Obamacare is still intact. Calm, but planning. We had both sent birthday wishes to Biden earlier!

I made brown lentil soup using a new batch of veggie stock, but, good as it was, it's not photogenic, so take my word for it!

Happy day, everyone, mine was great.

Tuesday Knitting Group, Textiles and Tea

The knitting group was fun, new member came, learner from Sunday, and we saw good things.

Coming up is a little library display of our finished works, I'll be delivering mine Friday, didn't get it together today.

Here's what I plan to display 

Clockwise from nine o'clock, crocheted cotton scarf, Shetland catspaw lace scarf, notebook with granny square covers, neck gaiter, Tunisian crochet with Dorset buttons, Tunisian lace cowl. 

Here's the blanket from which I got the remains of yarn to make my comfort dolls. Many small balls in bright colors, great for dolls. D, holding her  blanket, gave me her leftovers. She's including it in her display.

and this cowl 

Here's double sided knitting. Remember when I did that ages ago and thought my brain would never recover? This isn't mine.

Now for works in progress 

Beginner crocheters working on granny squares.

Chat included indigenous people, Braiding Sweetgrass, baking bread, reading groups, Recording for the Blind, craft displays, Thanksgiving leftovers and more.

Then home to a pot of tea and Textiles and Tea with Patrice George, pioneer in the introduction of the computer interface in weaving. 

She was an early adopter, taught many designers and professional weavers this new world, and since retiring from teaching at FIT, still makes opportunities for people of all ages to learn weaving, with and without computer interface.

During her career she designed coursework using computer interface for the School of Visual Arts and Parsons, and worked with the UN to set up textile cottage industries  in Jamaica, to create employment.   She started weaving as a teenager, went off alone to Sweden to learn. Intrepid always.

Top right is the first try she ever made with the computer interface, an ikat style trial, after which she never looked back.

Here she is in Sweden, age 17.

And here's the cutting edge moment in 1986 when she, and the cat,  got national attention demonstrating computer assisted weaving at the Museum of American Folk Art, after which invitations to teach and demonstrate began to pour in.

Her commercial fabric designs

Here's a Jamaican sewist and clothing designer who, assisted by Patrice, learned to weave her own cloth, in order to pass on the learning through the UN Jamaica program. She's seen wearing a robe she designed, wove and made.

And here, Patrice in retirement, teaching children the skills and fun of weaving. And samples she created on a small loom, still experimenting.

She sees the next challenge in weaving to employ earth-friendly yarns and dyes, along with technology, in the weaving world.

And, as if that wasn't enough riches in one day, here's what arrived after supper, great timing.

The best fruitcake in the world! Thank you so much, dear friend, for this lovely start to the holidays. 

You know how Mary shouts OMG OMG OMG and runs about in joy? My version, slightly lower key, is to murmur, oh how lovely, isn't she kind, how thoughtful, I love this cake. 

And there's fruit, so it's breakfast. Also dessert. And afternoon tea. Late night snack. All purpose!

Happy day everyone, my Tuesday certainly was.

Winter sun moving, and puzzle answers

Here's the sun now in winter position to light up the soft sculpture on the mantelpiece in the morning.

The copper wire really sparkles here, and the shadows are interesting.

On to puzzle answers, here's the 

pri_e one 

E also supplied prine for a really cool alternative.

And here's my eager answer which failed to read the directions 

Did anyone have a different wrong answer?

And here's the other one 

 Well done if you got any or all. 

Happy day, everyone, have you tried making up word puzzles? On purpose, I mean, not my way? Would you like to puzzle your readers? I'd be up for it, if so.

Current listening while I repair and cook

And evening watching, between online community organizing meetings

As you see, I'm fitting in action and escapism. 

Monday evening a zoom call with many activists in NJ, all geared up, ready and with events already set up. Not waiting for T***p to enact bad things, ready to cut him off at the pass.  These people know their stuff, and it was heartening to be in their presence. The fight is on. 

And now that the US election's over, the US, France and the UK are doing what they've been wanting to for a while, agree to have Ukraine strike deeper into Russia. This should be a turning point. I hope. As always. Active resistance.

 

Sunday crochet and community building

Sunday afternoon  I went to more or less assist with the beginner's crochet class, learned as much as I taught, and had a very good afternoon doing it..

New friends. I arrived early, so I took a look in the gallery downstairs 

Really energetic art, so much movement. 

Before all this, I fortified the inner woman with poached cod in a sort of puttanesca sauce,  diced tomatoes, olives, capers and anchovy paste.

Served with plain baked yellow potatoes. 

This meal took about twenty minutes tops from putting on the water to serving.  Two more similar meals to come.

Late afternoon I was in an on-line discussion about race and white privilege. Very illuminating.

Happy day everyone, whatever your day consists of. Enjoy the bits you can, don't let doomsayers pull you down! You matter. We matter.

November 18 marks the 107th anniversary of my parents wedding. 1917.